Chennai: India’s best singles player Sumit Nagal On Sunday, he won his fifth Challenger-level singles title, overcoming Italy’s Luca Nardi in the final of the Chennai Open – a feat that propelled him into the top 100 for the first time in his career.
Nagal’s 6-1, 6-4 victory propelled him to 98th place in the latest rankings released on Monday.
Nagal has been in great form as he won the Chennai Open without dropping a single set.
Nagal is the first Indian to crack the top 100 in singles since left-hander Prajnesh Gunneswaran made the cut in 2019.
“I’m very emotional (today). You know, the dream of every tennis player is to be at least in the top 100. And as I said earlier, to win this match in front of your home crowd in your own country, I don’t think I could have asked for a better position,” Nagal said after his victory.
“I don’t think there were any words, everyone was crying. Fewer words, more tears.
“I’m still very emotional. Last year was very difficult with being ranked 500th, having surgery and not having financial support.
“There’s been a lot of ups and downs, you know. And I’m really happy that I found a way to push myself every day and give myself a chance to be here,” he said.
Nagal also hopes that the win will inspire aspiring athletes to pursue a career in singles tennis.
“We would like to see more people playing Grand Slam tournaments, but I hope this win can inspire more people to pursue their singles career as well,” he said.
It was a terrific start to the 2024 season for the 26-year-old Indian, who qualified for the main draw of the Australian Open and knocked out top-30 player Alexander Bublik in the first round.
“I’m happy with the way I control myself and the zone I’m in. I think it’s very important for a tennis player because the sport is very important.
“Once you step on the field, you’re just yourself. And if you’re not in the right frame of mind, or you’re not seeing the right things, it’s very difficult to change things on the field,” he said.
